Torpedo-boat.



Patented Jan. 18,1910.

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ATTORN EY,

H. MAXIM.

TORPEDO BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1899.

Unirnnernrns HUDSON Maxim, or new YORK, n. Y.

concern-Boar.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pafi gntgd J 21,11. 18, 1910.

Application filed Taiarch 23, 18%. Serial fi'o. 710.31%.

To all 'ughom it may concern: f h Be it known that I, Henson MAXIM, resident of the city and State of New York, have in processes and apparatus for launching torpedoes.

The object of the invention is to launch a torpedo'in as-close proximity to the target as possible, with the highest obtainable initial velocity and with the minimum of danger, from 'thefire of the hostile war-ship, to the-torpedo'boat and its occupants.

In carrying out my invention any suitable boat may be employed from which to launch the torpedo, but I prefer to v employ a small torpedo boat which may be almost entirely submerged so as to afiord a small and inconspicuous target to the enemy, and equipped with propelling devices whereby itmay be driven at an exceedinglyhigh speed,

to the end that it may rapidly pass through the zone of fire of the warship attacked,

launch its torpedo and withdraw with equal ra idity.

Vitli the objects aforesaid in view, my invention resides in a process of launching anlaunching tube and the rear of the torpedo,

the motive fluid acting on the torpedo in said tube, in a manner similar to that by which a projectile is fired from a gun by the gases of ex losion of the powdercharge.

' The automo ile torpedoes employed may be of any desired type and are placed in a launching tube or submarine gun which is allowed to remain full of water and is provided with a port at its forward end opened by the outrush of the torpedo when launched, and adapted to 'close automatically, openings being provided so that the space in the interior of the launching tube is constantly in communication with the sea. Any suit able motor fluid maybe employed for the launching and propulsion of the torpedoes. I may, if desired, for the purpose of producing motor fluid, place in the main body of .the torpedo, long rods or bars of a compound colloid of gun cotton and nitroglycerin orother suitable compound capable of supporting its own combustion. .These -bars or candles, as they may be called, of

self-combusting compound, are provided i with means for ignition independently or in series, or simultaneously/as may be desired, While all the surfaces except those ignited should be protected from ignition so that the material may be caused to be consumed gradually and m the desired direction. The

products of combustion ofthe 'colloidal-candles may be utilized for evaporating a liquid or heating a gas or both, for the production of motor fluid for driving the motor or for propelling purposes by any suitable means or device. For example, the torpedoes employed may be those driven b a motor actuated by some expansive flui such as com pressed air, carbonic acid, or a compound fluid consisting 0 products of combustion of a nitro compo nd and another fluid or fluids.

In the practice of my invention the propelling mechanism of the automobile torpedo is set in motion whilewithin the-launching tube, which tube as above mentioned is filled with water, and the torpedo will therefore be launched with great rapidity, this end being secured-by the combined action of the propeller screws of the torpedo and the direct propulsive action of the motor fiuid 'escaping from the rear of the torpedo into the launching tube. The torpedoes will be ejected with such velocity, together with the water thrown forward at the same time, that there will be suflicient recoilto aid inaterially in stopping the torpedo boat, so that the boat may be rushed directly forward, head on, toward a war-ship until very close to it, when the torpedo being launched and the propellers of the boat simultaneously reversed, the combined action will be not only to bring the boat to a very sudden standstill, but to cause it'to retreat with great speed inthe opposite direction from Whidh it came. It is obvious that a torpedo boat of high speed ivill thus be enabled to pass very quickly through the zone of fire of the guns of the enemy, deliver its torpedoes and then get out of range With the niinimum consumption of time.

With this general statement of the leading features of the invention, I have, in order to make the some more clearly understood, shoWn in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical effect without thereby limiting the improvement in its useful application to the particular apparatus herein illustrated.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal; vertical elevation, partly in section of a torpedo boat which I prefer to employ as the launching apparatus in carrying out my process. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ofthe boat'onj-he line 22 of Fig, 1; section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. t is a horizontal section on the line ll of Fin.

1, showing a part Ofill fluid pressure ge'ner sting up ziratus, which Ii er to employ in said bout. Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal section of part of the generator on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the forward. portion of the torpedo tube and its opening ports or doors with contiguous parts of the boat taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. "i is an elevation of the lever operating device for opening and closing the various valves in l stopcocks of the boats cchonisni. t is a broken sectional ail show how the gases after actuating the propeller of the torpedo, escape and react on the Water.

Referring to the drawings, the boat consists chiefly of a cigar-shaped main body portion 1. Phis main body contains the principal m otivemachiner and is provided with a superstructure 2. Elie superstructure is provided with a compartment 3 constitut ing s. pilot house, fro n which the various devices and parts of the boats mechanism may be operated and controlled. [The pilot house is provided with a closed hood or loolo out 4 projecting above the waterdineof the boat, and having windows ,5 in the form of small apertures, closed vwith a solid plate of glass. The pilot house is also provided with a manhole {5 having a cover 7, with which the same may be closed Watertight. Communication'may be had between the main body of the boat and the pilot house through a manhole made Watertight by means of the door The boat is also p-cvided with a sub-structure 9 which contents the torpedo launching tube or submarine gun 10 which carries two or automobi or dirigible tor edoes. s launching s is crisp-ted to e normal closed by... inhibit} door 11, or two doors, divided at the stem line, and conforming to the general contour of the boat. The doors are constructed so as to swing out in alsteral direction on vertical Fig. 3 is a transverse to, rotate within the same.

several colloidal candles are adapted hinges 12, attached to the side of the launch ing tube, so that the doors are opened by the outrush of the torpedo and the Water in the tube Within which the torpedo is immersed. After the passing-of the torpedo from the launching tube,-the doors are closed by means of springs 13 attached to the arms of the hinges.

A suitable motor, preferably a double tur binc,'-is contained. at lit, in the compartment. 15. Gne part of the turbine is to rotate in one direction, hile the other partis caused to rotate in an opposite direction. One part of theturbine is directly connected to one of the screws or propellers 16, While the other is directly connected to the other screw, by means of independent shafts at 17, the one being a tube, and the other adapted The motor or turbine, is preferably actuated byai'iexpsnsive fluid, which is enerated by any suitable method. Preferably there are provided plurality of candles of the self-combustible intro-compounds, 18 as for example, three in. number, such preferably inclo ed in sepcrate tubes, 19, and adapted to be burned from one end only, while the sides of the candle are protected from ignition by being in contact with the tube Walls or by being sealed or cemented to the tube walls. fll'e several tubes are preferably arran s by side in the horizontal plane with L. body 1, and made to extend from Tl-"Lll the bow ofthe boat bscl the chamber mining the mixing and evaporating (lei Ki; hereinafter described. The colloidal candles of nitro-compound are adapted to be ignited, either successively, or simultaneously, as may be required; the ignition being. ef-

fected at theend communicating with the V provide hving' the same interior strut-- ture anr notion as the evaporation chamber illustrated and described in my applied. tion, i. No. 710,192, filed March 2-3, 1899. A separate spraying device 23 is prefer ably provided for jetting Water into the nth of the roducts of combustion of each of the colloi al candles in ,the of the same to the evaporation chamber.

ine to be ignited either separately or simultane0us but the center candle is preferably first iL nited. A water suppl" to the spraying do vice is provided in the cylinders .24, from forced under pressure to and ihroi the outer cylinders constituting wutoi jscliets 25 for the cylinders 19 carrying the colloidal candles 18. The water reservoirs are preferably arranged beneath the cylinders carrying tlre'colloidal candles,

in order to place the weight of the same as low in the vessel as possible. The water reservoirs are connected by a pipe 26, so that they may be emptied and filled simultaneously. A compensating device or automatically operated valve, not shown, is provided for admitting the water of the sea into the chamber 9 about the launching tube 10 or into the spaces beneath and about the various cylinders 2d, and 27 within the main body of the boat. The automaticyalve is adapted to be opened and closed by the varying pressure of the sea-water, so that, as the boat becomes less deeply immersed, a suliicient amount of water will be admitted to again immerse the boat to its original depth. The pipes connecting the liquid holding chambers or reservoirs 24:, with the cooling jacket 25 are each opened and closed by a valve 28 operated by a hand lever 29 in the pilot house, the lever being connected by a rod 30, a bell crank 31, and a connecting rod32, attached to a quadrant 33 which is provided with a rack meshing with a pinion 34 on the spindle of the valve, see

Fig. 7. The ignition end of each of the colloidal candles is-separated from the combastion chamber by a non-heat conducting and non-combustible body or coating 35, which is destroyed or broken through upon ignition of the candle. The ignition of the colloidal candles is effected by means of an electric current, which current is generated by the battery 36, the circuit being com- 'pl'eted by means of push buttons 37 in the pilot house. A small thread of-wire embedded in the ignition end of the powder,

and constituting part of the electric circuit. is raised to incandescence by the electric cur-.

rent, thereby igniting the colloidal compound. Openings are provided at th bow of the boat for the insertion of the colloidal candles into their respective tubes after which the tubes areclosed by the plugs 38, and the ports by the Watertight closure 39.

The torpedo is provided with the usual propeller, the shaft being driven by a suit able engine la (Fig. 8), of the turbine or any suitable type, the motor fluid therefor being supplied ioreXample by the products of combustion of a self combustive colloidal candle in manner as before described with reference to the boat propulsion. The ex haust motor liuid or products'of combustion and steam, after doing duty, leave the.

engine casing by a pipe 46, and find an exit to the exterior of the torpedo by a rear opening 47, aroundthe propeller shaft, so that the torpedo will be expelled er launched from the tube with great rapidity, due to the combined action of the propeller screws and the direct propulsion of the escaping motor fluid by its impact against the water in the tube.

in practicing my invention by the use of 'ter the other.

the apparatus herein described. the torpedo I or torpedoes are placed in the launchi tube 10 which tube is filled with water an is in open communication with the so as already described, the doors ll of the launching tube however, being closed. The control of the application of the motor fluid of the torpedoes to the propellers thereofis controlled from the pilot house 4: by the operator, preferably through electrically operated devices whose application is secured by y theoperation of the buttons 37. The elec tric wire 4A thus communicates with the pilot house and controls the firing or launching of each of the torpedoes in the launching tube so that said torpedoes may be launched either separately or simultaneously, one af- VVhen a torpedo is employed like that described in my aforesaid application Sr. No.

710,192, the colloidal candle within the same is adapted to be ignited by means of the wire 4:4: communicating with the'pilot house,

whereby as already stated, the torpedo is thrown rom the launching tube by the .com-

bined action of its propellers or screws on the water surrounding the torpedo in the launching tube and by the pressure upon the rear of the'torpedoof the escaping motor fiuid exhausted from the torpedo in driving the screws.

When employing torpedoes of a type having a fuse unlocked 'or cocked by means of a rotating fan 42, the premature revolution of the fan is prevented by means of circumferential blocks 43, encircling the head of the torpedo about the fans.

What is claimed is 1- H1 The herein described'process of launching automobile torpedoes from a tubewithin which they are immersed in water, which consists in utilizing the combined action of the propellers of the same and the expansive force of the escaping motor fluid acting upon the torpedoes at their rear to impart the launching movement thereto.

2.-The herein described process of launchanism of the torpedo and afterwar utilizing the expansion 0 the said fluid within the tube to assist in eiecting the torpedo therefrom.

' a. The herein described method of launchinfg automobile torpedoes from a torpedo boat which consists in passing a motive fluid In testimony whereof I have signed this through the propeller operating mechanism specification in the presence of two subscribof the torpedo to drive it forward, then mg Witnesses;

causing the exhaust motive fluid to react be- 5 HUDSON MAXIM. tween the torpedo and the boat, and simuli Witnesses:

taneously operating the propellers of the C. A. L. MASSIE,

boat to propel it rearward. EIJSHA K.-GAMP; 

